Strategic Supplier Relationship Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced and commercially astute Strategic Supplier Relationship Manager to oversee and elevate the Bank’s most critical HR & Travel supplier partnerships with flexibility for the role to be based in either UK or Poland. In this strategic role, you will act as the primary executive interface between the Bank and its key suppliers, driving long‑term value, strengthening trust, and ensuring alignment with business priorities.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping supplier strategy, enhancing performance, and ensuring resilience across the Bank’s third‑party ecosystem. This position requires a senior professional with the credibility and influencing capability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders across a global organisation, while managing complex, high‑value supplier relationships.

• Act as the primary executive point of contact for designated strategic HR & Travel suppliers
• Develop and implement supplier strategies aligned with business objectives, demand planning, and contractual commitments
• Lead strategic relationship management, driving collaboration, innovation, and long‑term value creation
• Facilitate joint business planning, performance reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Identify and assess new strategic supplier opportunities
• Own and monitor relationship health indicators (trust, responsiveness, strategic alignment)
• Establish and oversee supplier KPIs, scorecards, and performance frameworks
• Lead executive governance forums with senior stakeholders and suppliers
• Drive cost optimisation, value engineering, and efficiency initiatives
• Conduct root cause analysis for performance issues and implement sustainable improvements
• Ensure ESG commitments are embedded and tracked
• Identify and mitigate supply chain and relationship risks, ensuring business continuity
• Monitor market, geopolitical, and industry trends impacting supplier performance
• Ensure robust resilience and contingency planning for critical services
• Maintain high‑quality supplier data and governance standards
• Support regulatory, audit, and compliance requirements related to third‑party risk

• 5–10+ years of experience in strategic supplier or vendor management, ideally within financial services or large multinational organisations
• Proven track record in managing and influencing executive‑level supplier relationships
• Strong expertise in HR & Travel categories and/or Professional Services procurement
• Demonstrated ability to deliver strategic thinking and decision‑making across complex environments
• Strong understanding of vendor management, procurement processes, and governance frameworks
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across global, multicultural environments
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills at senior levels
• Advanced commercial and business acumen
• Ability to analyse, structure, and manage relationships using both quantitative and qualitative metrics
• Self‑motivated, resilient, and results‑driven mindset

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification
• CIPS or equivalent certification is advantageous
• Fluent in English

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time‑off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market‑leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first‑aiders and all sorts of self‑help toolkits.
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values‑driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies – everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.